vengeance Silas Tyseri, the Smiling Villain

[Sarcasticfury]

Silas Tyseri
Inspired Blade Swashbuckler

One may smile and smile and be a villain

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Map Token    Character Generation Ability Scores: 20 point buy Strength: 10 Dexterity: 15 (+2 Racial)= 17 Constitution: 14 Intelligence: 10 Wisdom: 13 Charisma: 14 Race: Human Gender: Male Age: 23 Height:  6'1 Weight: 199 lbs Class: Swashbuckler Traits: Amoral Mercenary (Hell's Vengeance), Ambitious Skill Ranks: 5 Skills Trained: Stealth [1 Rank], Deception [1 Rank], Diplomacy [1 Rank], Sense Motive [1 Rank], Perception [1 Rank] Background Skill Ranks: Profession(Mercenary) [1 Rank], Knowledge(Geography) [1 Rank] Feats: Deceitful, Extra Panache, Piranha Strike Bonus Languages: None Hit Points: Max (d10) + Con mod+2 + Favoured Class Bonus+1 to HP =13 Starting Wealth: 140gp  Equipment Starting Items Cost Source         Weapons Cost Source Rapier 20 CRB Page 142   Adventuring Gear Cost Source Chain Shirt 100gp CRB Page 151 Swashbuckler's Kit 9gp Advanced Class Guide pg. 206         Funds Remaining: 11gp

Edited March 29 by Sarcasticfury (see edit history)

[Sarcasticfury]

Background:

The oppressive structure of Cheliax makes social movement, or at least positive social movement all but impossible for its people. Most Chelaxians will live and die at their same station, which can create a sense of ruthlessness and a willingness to claw and kick their way up the ladder in those who wish to better their role in society.

 For Silas, that willingness seemed to always be present. He wanted to gain wealth, notoriety, and power over others and had no compunctions about doing whatever was necessary in order to obtain those goals. Turn in a neighbor that he heard expressing some sentiments against the government? No problem. Abandon allies whose usefulness had clearly expired and were on the downturn? No more difficult than discarding a piece of clothing that had been chewed through. Anything to rise up from the muck instead of dying namelessly like most of his country.

And he did it all with a disarming smile and charming personality that hid his concealed his willingness to act until the opportunity presented itself. And with the Glorious Reclamation, the opportunity of opportunities had presented itself before Silas. Chaos. An interruption to the stale order of things is a door flung open, just waiting for someone to rush through. And who better to rush through than Silas Tyseri?  If he could prove his worth to House Thrune, he would surely be richly rewarded by the Queen.

It was with these thoughts of riches and reward in mind that Silas made his way to Longacre, a village of scorned discontents, but also opportunity. It was hardly a glorious assignment, but if he could put down any dangerous sentiments in Longacre, he might prove himself worthy of bigger and better things.

Personality:

Outwardly, Silas is capable of being charming, witty, and trustworthy. Though on the inside, the only thing that Silas values are his ambitions.

Values such as honor, patriotism, and loyalty are foreign concepts, so he translates them into easier and more helpful ideas. 

While Honor is a shackle, he realizes that adhering to certain standards of behavior is beneficial, even necessary. Acting too monstrously and crossing unforgivable lines is a good way to get ostracized at best, and executed at worst, to say nothing of those behaviors coming back around to get him.

While he struggles to recognize the value of Patriotism, he does recognize the value of serving Cheliax to the best of his ability. House Thrune rewards its servants just as well as it punishes its enemies and traitors. Being in the former group is far more beneficial than the latter.

Loyalty seems like a millstone, but he recognizes that switching sides and betraying allies can be just as burdensome. Charm and good looks only goes so far in winning people's trust, some degree of actual commitment is required. And besides, useful allies aren't something to be discarded or betrayed, so long as they don't attempt to so so to him first.

Love though, is as incomprehensible to him as whatever lies inside the Dark Tapestry.

[iantruesilver]

We got a decent start here. Good picture of a ruthless merc. Some very fundamental questions remain though, stuff like "Who is he, where's he from? What led him to be the way he is?" And why is he in Longacre? (I know you mentioned an assignment, but to do what and assigned by whom?) And how does he come to know Cimri Staelish?

[Sarcasticfury]

 

Silas grew up in an unimportant village as the son of a wastrel who had no higher ambition than shoving food in his mouth and then washing it down with beer. His mother was a mystery to him that he's never been able to crack. Kind, beautiful, but she worked herself into an early grave serving as the provider that his father refused to be. He could never understand why she remained with him instead of just leaving. Her death and burial in a pauper's grave filled Silas with a hatred of his father, but also a drive to be better than this. To avoid dying namelessly after leading a life of unrewarded toil in a village no one could care less about, or worse, persisting on as a disgusting drunkard.

It would be a Chelish guard who taught him to do whatever was necessary in order to improve his station, regardless of how it impacted others. One day, Silas was milling about the town aimlessly, when he was passing a house and heard what sounded like an angry conversation coming from inside. Bored and curious, he crept up in the house, trying to listen in and find out whatever had these people so upset. Closing in, he could hear the people bemoaning their lives, cursing their lord who squeezed them with taxes, as well as the fact that the nature of Chelish society meant that they stood no real chance of getting out from his grip. Silas must have slipped up somehow, because one of the occupants conversing caught him and gave him a punch in the nose. Bleeding and frightened, Silas ran from the house and bumped into a guard who demanded to know what had occurred to get him in a state. Now in a state of greater fright, Silas told the guard everything in the hopes of avoiding another blow. What he got instead was the guard's approval and a gold piece, as he went to the house to haul them away for their sentiments.

And right then and there, Silas learned that if one had a willingness to turn in their neighbors and disregard the effects their actions may have, it might just be possible to move upwards in Chelish society. From that day on, he always kept an eye out for any opportunity to better his station or make a gold piece for himself. As he grew up, things became easier for him as his mother's looks and a carefully honed charm helped him to win people's confidence. One of those people was a man of similar ambition but lower cunning and a fondness for drink that would allow Silas to learn that Cheliax needed able bodies to deal with discontented citizens that might fall under the sway of the Glorious Reclamation that threatened to upend the country.

Silas remembered how serving the country and turning in traitors was a path to being well-rewarded, so he continued to ply the man, giving him more and more drinks until he spilled that he was going to a town called Longacre, to help keep the seeds of discontent from ever blooming. Though the man would never make it to Longacre, as Silas continued to buy the man drinks under the guise of celebration, making sure that he would be far too drunk to leave the village, and then as the man slept, stole his horse, sword, and valuables as he went to Longacre in the man's stead, escaping his village in an effort to rise.

Arriving in Longacre, Silas looked for anyone that might be a potentially useful connection and quickly found one in Cimri Staelish, a roguish girl that as he learned, had somehow made some useful connections of her own. In an effort to get closer to her backers, he made sure to develop a friendly relationship with her and provide aid whenever she might need it.

[iantruesilver]

Ok cool. Thank you for fleshing out the details, they proved to be an enjoyable read. Let me know once your app is ready for review.

[Sarcasticfury]

Appearance:

Physically, Silas takes after his mother, bearing fair skin, golden hair, and a face that is pleasant to look upon, especially when smiling, which he often does in order to come across as friendly and more trustworthy than he actually is. Silas stands tall at six-foot-one, though with a leaner frame he's perhaps less imposing than a more muscular man would be. Which again, is precisely as he would like it. Being tall and imposing is something that he'll save for the Hellknights.

If there is a flaw in Silas' facade, it is his eyes. Their golden color cannot hide the fact that his smiles oftentimes do not reach them, or the intensity in his gaze when he sees an opportunity to pounce on or an enemy that threatens to serve as an impediment to his goals. A particularly discerning figure that isn't swayed by his pleasant front would be hard-pressed to miss it. It is in those moments where he could be spotted for the cold and calculating opportunist he truly is.

For the most part however, Silas is perfectly capable of hiding himself as a snake in the grass, patiently remaining beneath notice until it's time for him to strike.

 

Ready for review!

[iantruesilver]

No issues at first glance.

 

As discussed, the details I've asked for are now present. Good to go!

[iantruesilver]

Deep Dive!

• For completeness sake, Current experience is 0
• Assuming you've not taken any subrace or alternate racial features?
• FCB selection not marked on sheet. Assuming you took HP?
• Languages not recorded on character sheet
• Hero Points are in play. Please denote 1 hero point on your sheet
• To make it easier to remember and track, please record the effects of your class features, traits and feats somewhere (eg. +1 Sense Motive, becomes a class skill, and immediate atn 1/day to be considered neutral alignment vs targeted effects due to your Amoral Mercenary campaign trait)
• Speaking of Amoral Mercenary, you need to be Neutral Evil to take that
• Check your skills list, you've not marked off all your class skills
• Background skills: Any class that gains Craft or Perform as a class skill also counts Artistry as a class skill. Lore is always considered a class skill for all characters
• (completeness) Weapon size not marked
• Armour entry missing arcane spell fail and speed
• In your block up top here, you've indicated that there's 11gp remaining for funds, that is mismatched by the 21gp in your character sheet
• Not sure how you arrived at a +5 Atk bonus for the rapier?
• (completeness) Character portrait not loaded onto sheet

Edited October 16, 2023 by iantruesilver (see edit history)

[Sarcasticfury]

Silas' Inspired Blade archetype grants him Weapon Finesse, as long as he's wielding a rapier, and Weapon Focus(rapier) for free. His Dexterity is 17, so he starts with a +3, and Weapon Focus gives him +1 with a rapier. And with a +1 BAB, that gets him +5 with a rapier. And correct, I took no alternate race stuff.

Edited October 19, 2023 by Sarcasticfury (see edit history)

[Sarcasticfury]

Portrait is now linked into sheet. I believe that's everything